Lime and Cilantro Rice

Instead of lime juice I used Lime essential oil from Young Living, what a difference! I have been making this recipe with lime juice, and of course you still can with delicious results, but I was out of lime so I pulled out the essential oil and wow! Freshly minced cilantro, a few drops of lime oil, and you have a batch of irresistible rice.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, white or brown
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
6 drops lime oil or juice of 1 small lime
4-6 tablespoons cilantro, minced
3 teaspoons grapeseed oil or olive
Cook rice according to package directions, including the salt mentioned above.
While rice is cooking, mince the cilantro.

In a large bowl, combine the cilantro, grapeseed oil, and lime oil (or juice).

When rice is fully cooked, fluff with fork and add to the cilantro mixture, tossing to combine.

As the hot rice combines with the lime and cilantro the fragrance will be incredible!

 Serve with beans and toppings, beside chicken, or however you want it!
If you are interested in Young Living Essential Oils just leave a comment in the box below, I would love to share how much I enjoy them!

Lime, Cream Cheese Scone...So Tender and Airy!

 Young Living Lime Essential Oil is fast becoming one of my favorite oils! Distilled from the zest not juice, it is pungent yet sweet, perfect for a soft, airy scone!

 Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold cream cheese cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 drops Young Living Lime Essential Oil
1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
4-6 drops Young Living Lime Essential Oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk or cream
dash salt
If you have made most of the scones on this blog you will recognize that this recipe just replaces some of the butter with cream cheese and adds lime oil, the process will be the same.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Lightly grease or spray a sheet pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Cut the butter and cream cheese into the dry ingredients.

Mix the cream or milk, egg, vanilla, and lime oil in a measuring cup or small bowl.

Add to the dry ingredients, folding gently until combined. Add more milk if too dry and won't hold together.
Lightly "dust" counter with flour, knead dough a few times to form ball then pat into disc about 1 inch thick. Cut into desired number of pieces. For this one I wanted smaller pieces so I divided dough into two pieces to make two scones.

Transfer to sheet pan, bake for 9-11 minutes or until the bottom edges show the slightest hint of golden brown.
Remove to cooling rack.

While cooling make icing. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and beat well, add the cream or milk sparingly until you get the right consistency.
 The lime oil is such a rich green.

 When completely cool, arrange on a pretty plate...or not. Glaze, and eat (my favorite part).

 If you would like to try this or other Young Living products just leave a message in the comment box!

Jocie's Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ah the humble muffin...not so this one! My daughter came home from work exclaiming about the muffins her co-worker had brought to a "food day", of course she had the recipe in hand. She has since made them many times, for the family, potlucks, and meals taken to friends, always with much appreciation.

 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease muffin pan or use papers.
Stir the sour cream and soda together, set aside.

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg, beating well.

Beat in sour cream mixture.
Stir in the remaining ingredients, gently, not over mixing.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan

  and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Yum...Thank you Jocie!!

Yummy, Healthy Pear Muffins

I had been given several bags of pears, nice Bartletts, juicy, ripe, ready to eat...now. So, what can we do with so many pears today? I don't care for canned fruit, so for me that is not even an option. We ate some. Shared a lot! Then started with muffins, maybe tomorrow it will be quick bread.

Ingredients:                                                 Makes 18 muffins
1 cup white flour (I used spelt for both)
1 cup whole grain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/3 cup real maple syrup (if you don't use real syrup then honey or any sugar will do)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
12 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ripe pear, peeled, chopped (2-3 pears)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a muffin pan.
In a small bowl, combine the pear with the lemon juice to keep it from turning brown. If you work quickly then it won't oxidize before being added and you can skip the lemon juice.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Make a well in the center and add the eggs, syrup, brown sugar, yogurt, and vanilla. Stir gently to combine. Add the pears, folding gently to incorporate.

Fill the prepared pan 2/3 full in each muffin cup.

Bake for 20-22 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These were so good with a schmear of cream cheese! Or skip the added calories and eat them plain, good either way!

Orange Blueberry Scone, with Surprise Ingredient!

You really can't tell how moist and delicious this is from the photo...trust me.
I used the basic cream scone recipe found on this blog http://hearthandhospitality.blogspot.com/2010/04/cream-scones.html , added blueberries, orange zest and the surprise ingredient. Ready? Young Living orange essential oil. These are not the health food store variety oils, these are pure, and not just food grade, they are therapeutic grade oils.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
zest of 1 orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter
1 cup blueberries
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream
2-3 drops Young Living Orange Essential Oil
Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 drops Young Living Orange Essential Oil
dash vanilla extract
3-5 tablespoons whipping cream or milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease a sheet pan
In a large bowl mix dry ingredients.
Cut in the butter. 
Gently stir in blueberries.
Add the wet ingredients and fold together very gently to avoid crushing berries and turning the batter blue. 
Pat into a circle about 1/2 inch thick on the prepared pan. Cut into 8 pieces, slightly separating them. 
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are barely golden.

Allow to rest 5-10 minutes then transfer to serving plate. 

In a small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients and whisk until a smooth drizzling consistency add more cream if necessary.  

Drizzle in what ever pattern makes you smile. 

 Enjoy! Orange is a very uplifting and energizing oil! 
If interested in this or any other Young Living Oils just leave a comment in the section below, I just love to talk about them!

Easy, Salsa Chicken

This was so easy, I saw it on Mennonite Girls Can Cook, a great foodie blog, especially for the home style cook. I saw this several months ago and have made it twice, both times in large quantity so I could freeze part of it for later use. It freezes well cooked like this, tastes great now or later! Their original recipe concluded with enchiladas which I tried, they were delicious. I have omitted the creamed corn and instead added it fresh to the end recipe.

I am still having some camera issues so forgive out of focus or mis-focused photos, some of it is the camera and some the operator.

This is so incredibly easy! For Trim Healthy Mamas it could fit E, S, or FP, as it is there is no fat and not enough tomatoes to make it an E exclusively. Be careful what else you are serving, the rice and bean combo was for most of my family, however it would be great in a low-carb tortilla with lots of veggies and guacamole for S or without for FP. You decide.

Ingredients:
large package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6)
Large jar salsa, or two small jars (24 oz, more or less)
Procedure:
Place all the chicken in a 5 quart crock pot on high. Pour salsa over chicken.

Cover and cook for 5-6 hours.

 Uncover and stir with a fork to break it up and mix all the salsa throughout.

 Not having fun with the editing program either, just turn your head and pretend these are right side up.

 This night I served the shredded "salsa chicken" over rice and black beans then topped with cheese, tomatoes, and avocados.

Some other suggestions would be: enchiladas, soup, sandwiches, burritos, on top of nachos,even cold on a salad. Freeze what you don't eat leftover and enjoy a quick meal in a few weeks.
Thank you "Mennonite Girls", you sure can cook!